Safety-barrier for windows.



B. B. SWANSON.

\ SAFETY BABBIIFB FOR- WINDOWS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1 2, 1913,

fPat ntefl mo. 23, 1913.

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JA Mm B.SWANE1DN Wild Luna B. B. SWA-NSON. I SAFETY BARRIER FOR WINDOWS. AIIBLIGATIONFIILEI) MAR.12, 1913.

- 1,082,368; Y Patented 1130.23, 1913.

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f is others, that the teller or other window at- BENJAMIN B. SWANSON, PORTAGE, PENNSYLVANIA.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. SWAN- SON, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Portage, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety- Barriers for Windows, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

It is well known, and particularly to those .who are engaged or interested in banking or any similar vocation where 'itis necessary c to keep near at hand at a window of a booth or similar inclosure large sums of money to be passed out to patrons, employees, or

tendant is constantly exposed to danger or violence at the hands of some .evilly disposed person endeavorin to rob, due to the very fact that under or inary circumstances, such attendant is practically helpless and in full view of the would be thief, whereby if a revolver be drawn, he would have practically no chance of defending himself or of protecting himself except by dodging underneath the counter, in which event, however, the coin, currency, or the like, would be left unguarded within theconvenient reach of the thief who'could, as has heretofore often happened, in such emergencies, quickly made off with the booty.

With a knowledge invention has for its primary object, simple,

and efiicient means whereby theteller or other window attendant mayv instantly, should the contingency before referred to arise, release a door or slide whichwill automatically close over barrier between the thief and the counter behind the window, while at the same time,

such barrier being preferably bullet proof,

would piotect the person of the attendant until assistancecould be summoned.

A further object of the invention is a device of this character wherein the door. or

a barrier, may be easily maintained in an elevated inoperative position so long as not required for use,and easily released from its holding means when necessary, whereby it will drop by gravity across the a window or similar opening with the advantageous result-s above mentioned. e

A'further object of this invention IS the of these conditions,

the window .and form a I sp cification of Letters I t n Patented Dec. 23, 1913. Application filed March 12,1913. Serial No. 753,876.

provision of an improved device of this type in, which the door is slidably maintained in its upper inoperative position by an ener gized mag-net which is included in an electric circuit, and the switch of which is withinconvenient reach of the operator so that when an emergency is at hand, the, actuation of said switch may instantly open the circuit'and deen'ergize the magnet, and thereby permitting the releasing means to act so as to allow the door to drop.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the Y invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements, and combina-' tions" of the parts that I shall hereinafter more fully describe and'claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of two windows equipped with my improvedsafety device, looking inwardly or from the outside. Fig. 2 is a similar view of one window looking at the inner face thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on the lines 44 and 5-5 of Fig, 2. Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of my invention.- Fig.' 7 1s a detail elevation showing the magnet and latch bar which is used in connection with the modified form of my invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in all of the views of the accompanymg drawings by like reference characters.

Referring to figures from 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a portionof the front of a booth or similar inclosuredesigned, as is customary, to separate the patrons or customers of an institution such as a bank, from the teller or'other employees or officials, and the money which they handle, said. front being provided, as is usual in such cases, with a window, as it is called, the same being normally open or unobstructed, at least to an extent sufficient to permit the hand of any, one desiring to do so, to reach in through the window, and grasp the currency or the like stacked upon the counter at the rear thereof.

In carrying out try invention, I provide a door or slide 3 which' is preferably formed posed between the steel structure is made light in weight but at the- ;same time bullet proof. This slide 3 is mounted for a vertical movement, in suitable guidesgfor-ming part of the front of the" of sheet steel booth sition r inclosure, and in its lowermost podesigned to constitute margin, so as toipra'c tically shut atively large area, when required andv thereby protect the window attendant as well a'sgu'ard the money which he handles. Thedboror slide'3 is provided at its u per, edge "-'.with an upwardly projecting e ere whijch is formeda't its extremity 1 it-beveled hook 5, ment with agshoulder 6 formed on the lower end/ of a latch '17. This I trigger or latch is 'pivotally mounted intermediate'of its ends as at 8, on any suitable support and is pivotallyconneeted above pivota'lpo'int S-With I a rod 9 whichjis mounted for a'la-teral move- -fment in and through brrackets' 10. .'An ex- .cluded is closed, but when as will be more fully described, and the mag" .40

. upon the door or :Ip'ansion "spring 11 is coiled around i the rod 9 and exerts a tension thereon to move the rod. in a direction to 'rock or' swing the latch ;7 out 1 keeper 4. 4 v I .7

The brackets '10 support an electromagnet 12 which is composed present instance although it is to be under-' stood that my invention is not limited in tins" ofengagement with the hook of the of two coils in the regard. This magnet is designed to hold to it, the upper arm of the latch 7 which consti--- tutes an armature for the magnet, so long as the circuit in which said'magnet IS inthe circuit is open net deenergized, the springs 11 will be permitted to act to' swim ,tion to free it from t e keeper 4 and thereslide 3 will drop by ravity across the window 2 andform an e barrier, as :hereinbefore set forth.

In order to move the latch 7 to its operative position'f or engagement with thekeeper I 4, while the circuit of the electromagnet' 12 is closed, I provide a preferably steel cord or cable 13 which is connected at one end to the, upper end of the latch and which passes I around and down" over a pulley 14 located at the required point and thence downward to a preferably grooved disk 15 to which it is secured and around which .it extends. The disk 15 is mounted to turn on poseda'xis 16 at the rear sideof a plate, 17 and is provided .with' anydesired form of handle 18, whereby it may be easily manipulated. It will by grasping the handle 18, turn the disk 15 in a direction to pull'upon the cable 13 and thereby swing the latch '17 into .a substantially vertical position, whereuponthe door plates with pressed cork inter-. plates whereby the a-barrier extending across the window 2 and its sur designed-for engage the latch 7 in a I di'reca ectijve a centrally disthusbe under ,to'od that when the circuit is closed, the operator may or slide 3 may be raised and the hook 5 of the keeper 4 will be engaged by the shoulder raised inoperative circuit remains closed, but it is to be underany particular arrangement of the electric circuits or manner of the same and that'furthermore these circuits' may be so arranged'that any desired number of doors may neously' as well as any. pjendently of all'of the others.

provided with a bIIfl GIZStIlPQO so as to rehas once dropped, it can not again be raised from theouts1de. a From the foregoing description, in 0on e apparent In the practical use'of the device,v the circuit for the electromagnet 12 is closed by the switch "thereby energized, the

manipulated so as to draw the latch 7 over against the magnet which will hold it in so as to cause the keeper-. tobe with the shoulder 6 will remain in this position .so long as the circuit of the electromagnet is'closed, and

engaged .es sary for the window attendant to actuate the switch and open the circuit whereupon the spring 11 will belpermitted to. act so' 4, the door immediately dropping and shielding the attendant, and frustrating any attempt to steal his cash. I Y Referring more particularly to Figs. '6 and? of the: drawings, the latch 7' is'show'n 'heldin engagement with the catch rod 9', which is equipped with-an expansive in this instanceis normally open and obwill be drawn to themagne't and awayfroni the catch 4, thus releasing the do'oror slide 1; and permittingiit' to fall'as previously described. I i

' trate what I believe to 'stood that the invention is not limited there-l to, but that various changes in the construc-' parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention asdefined in the 1 appended claims.

stood that my-invention is not limited to Preferably I the lower edge of the ldoor. is l '80 duce the shock-when the, door drops and the door may. be held in lowered position after'it is dropped, bymeans of latches 21 of any. desired construction, so that after the door such osition and the door or slide 3 is raised whenever theflexigency'arises it is only nec the electromagnet will bej deenergized andas to disengage" the latch? from the keeper,

spring, as the other figures; The circuit 115- viously when the same isclosed'bythe switch" such .as hereinbefore referred to, the latch 6 with the latch so as to hold the door inits position so long. as the closing and opening Y be. operated simultadoor operated indeg.

nection"with the accompanying drawings, the;J obperation of my improved safety device wl 19. and the magnet V: handle 18 is then'f of the'latch. The parts'- .4, by the 5 v 1'20 While the acc omp'an ing drawings illusthe preferred em bodiment of my invention, it is to be under f p .tion, arrangements and proportions of the what- I claim is e-.;

The combmaoniwiithe window of the "character described, of a. vertically movable fgravity act-madam" adapted to close the windowopening, said door being provided with a keeper', a; latch movable into engagement with the 'kee er and adapted to hold the .door in a raise position, an electromag net tendingto' move "the latch relative to .said keeper, an electric circuit in which the electromagnet is'inc lnded, a null cord connected to said latch, and a handle eonnected to'one endioi-f said cord, whereby the I samemay be drawn in a direction to move window opening,- I'

connected at one end to said latch, and tendmagnet is included.

character described, of a vertically movable gravity actuated door adaptedvto close the window opening, said door being provided with a-keeper, a latch movable into engage the door in a raised position, an electromagnet tending to move the latch relative to said keeper, the latch tending to move in a direction to release the keeper upon the deenergization of the electromagnet, an electric circuit in which the electromagnet is-included, a pull-n cord connected to said latch, and a. handle connected to one end of the pull cord, whereby the *same may be drawn in a direcmagnet and .into position for engagement "withthe keeper. j

In'testimony whereof Ihereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJA-IVIIN B. SWANSON' Witnesses: I

ALEXANDER WRIGHT, GEORGE BERKHIMER.

3. The combination with a window of the 'ment with the keeper and adapted to holdtion' to move the latch-toward the electroing' to move the latch away'from saidkeeper', and an electric circuit inwhich said electro- 

